Employment outcomes following spinal cord injury in Taiwan

It is important to maximize vocational achievement following spinal cord injury. Despite this recognition, unemployment remains a prevalent problem and continues to challenge rehabilitation professionals. This study aimed to examine the employment status and determinants of employability for individuals with spinal cord injury in Taiwan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted. A total of 353 participants aged 18-65 years were recruited from four branches of the Association of People with Spinal Cord Injury. The results showed that, of the participants, 107 were employed at the time of the survey, with an employment rate of 30.3%. Logistic regression analyses indicated that individuals with a college degree or higher [odds ratio (OR)=3.03; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.30-7.07], aged 26-40 years (OR=8.51; 95% CI: 3.14-23.02) and 41-55 years (OR=3.06; 95% CI: 1.31-7.18), sustaining injury longer than 10 years (OR=9.89; 95% CI: 2.61-37.46), experiencing less functional limitations (OR=0.90; 95% CI: 0.86-0.95), and perceiving greater social support (OR=1.04; 95% CI: 1.01-10.7) were associated with higher likelihood of employment. Vocational rehabilitation services can use the results to target efforts toward those at risk of unemployment.